Abstract
This study produced white asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spears by covering plants with a shading film during semi-forcing spring harvest cultivations of asparagus. White asparagus spears with no anthocyanin pigment were produced in plastic houses, when a 2.0 m-highwalk-in tunnel covered with a shading film was set up in the houses before the spears sprouted. The number of marketable white spears was smaller than that of marketable green spears. However, the weight of white spears was greater than that of green spears. Consequently, there was no difference between white and green asparagus production with regard to marketable yield. The characteristics of white asparagus spears produced in plastic houses with a shading film covering differed from those of green spears. Their tips were tighter and mid-section diameters were greater. Further, white asparagus spears that had been boiled for 10 minutes tended to be tougher than similarly treated green spears.
